NONprofit Business Excellence: Leadership Through Learning

Need:

Nonprofit leaders in Cicero, Ill., a west suburban Chicago community, found success with their passion for the social dimension of their work, but they lacked strategic and managerial business skills.

Program Goal:

To formalize the management education of community nonprofit leaders and provide each with a “toolbox” to accomplish change within their organizations and develop high-vision leadership.

Program Design and Format:

The Cicero Youth Task Force and Notre Dame nonprofit executive programs staff designed an annual, two-week certification program to be held within the community. Program topics have included:

Creating a mission statement and strategic plan for your organization.

Dealing with common human resources challenges in the nonprofit sector, such as hiring, corrective actions, professional development, federal guidelines, recruiting and preserving institutional knowledge in a high turnover environment.

Advocating for the organization and influencing governmental policies and processes

Writing the successful grant proposal; fundraising strategies

Assuring quality through program design and evaluation and adhering to continuous quality assurance and improvement principles.

FUTURE PLANS:

After a successful first year of Leadership Through Learning with 38 participants from the Cicero community, the Cicero Youth Task Force and Notre Dame Nonprofit Professional Development partnered for a second session the next year.